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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Queen Liliuokalani in the Headlines, 1894

Another genealogy blogger, Kim Von Aspern, author of
the blog “Le Maison Duchamp” at http://lemaisonduchamp.blogspot.com/recently
wrote to me that she had seen an unusual news headline about “Queen Lila Kalei”
in a South Carolina newspaper in 1894. I
had seen similar accounts in many other newspapers, with varying degrees of
accuracy about the incident concerning Queen Liliuokalani after she was forced from the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii. I’ll
reprint them here, along with the Queen’s own words about that time in her
life, and a timeline about her monarchy and her losing the throne, with Hawaii’s
eventual annexation. You can draw your
own conclusions.

From Google Book Search

Our
Paper, Volume 10, by the Massachusetts Reformatory,
Concord, Mass. 20 October 1894, Page 667
“Before the steamer Araw left Honolulu a rumor was in circulation that Queen
Liliuokalani had gone crazy. The report
was not credited, although for several days she had not left the house she was
occupying”

The same article was also found in the Worcester Daily Spy, Worcester,
Massachusetts, 15 October 1894, page 7, and also in the Patriot, Pennsylvania, 16 October 1894, page 8 “Queen Lil Reported
Crazy”, and many other newspapers on GenealogyBank.com.

Boston Journal,
Boston, Massachusetts, 16 October 1894, page 5

“Liliuokalani
Insane

The
Report to that effect in Circulation in Honolulu

Victoria,
BC, October 15, Before the steamer Arawa left Honolulu a rumor was in circulation
that Queen Liliuokalani had gone crazy.
For several days she had not left the house she was occupying.

Washington,
October 15- No information has been received in Washington confirmatory of the
report that Queen Liliuokalani has become insane. It is not believed. For some days after the receipt of the
intelligence that the republic had been recognized, the queen remained in her
room, refusing to see anyone except intimate friends. More recent advices state that she suffered
subsequently from slight illness, but the latest reports show her to have
recovered. She is living quietly at her
residence on the street in the rear of the national palace. It is believed that the new rulers of the
republic will make the deposed Queen a suitable provision as soon as she
manifests a disposition to cultivate good relations between herself and
President Dole’s ministry.”

The same article was also found in the Boston Daily Advertiser, Boston,
Massachusetts, 16 October 1894, page 5.

A different article from the Oregonian, 16 October 1894, page 2

“The
Ex-Island Queen

There
is no Disposition to treat Liliuokalani Harshly

Washington,
October 15 – No information has been received in Washington confirmatory of the
report that Liliuokalani has become insane.
In well-informed circles it is not believed. The fact is known here that the queen is
greatly chagrined at the action of this government in recognizing the new
republic. Up to the very moment the
official announcement of the recognition was received, she believed that it
would be denied, and that President Cleveland either would assist her to the
throne again or at least mediate in such a way between herself and the
republican leaders as would leave her virtually mistress of the situation. For some days after the receipt of the
intelligence that the republic had been recognized the ex-queen remained
secluded in her rooms, refusing to see anyone except her intimate friends. More recent advices state that she suffered
quite recently from slight illness, but the intent reports show her to have
recovered. She is living quietly at her
residence on the street immediately in the rear of the national palace. It is believed that the new rulers of the
republic will make the deposed queen a suitable provision, and this will
probably be done as soon s she manifests a disposition to cultivate good
relations between herself and President Dole’s ministry. It is said that not only is there no disposition
to treat her harshly, but, on the contrary, to accord to her every proper
consideration.”

Queen Liliuokalani, in her own words:

"I found to my horror, when the newspapers
came to Honolulu from the United States, that the President and the American
people had been told that I was about to behead them all! There is an old
proverb which says that "a lie can travel around the world while the truth
is putting on its boots." That offensive charge was repeated to my hurt as
often as possible; although I immediately send my protest that I had not used
the words attributed to me by Mr. Willis in our informal conversation, and that
at my first official interview with him I had modified (so far as my influence
would go) the law of all countries regarding treason.” page
248

And...

“Weary with
waiting, impatient under the wrongs they were suffering, preparations were
undoubtedly made amongst some in sympathy with the monarchy to overthrow the
oligarachy. How and where these were carried on, I will not say. I have no
right to disclose any secrets given in trust to me. To the time of which I now
write their actions had been peaceful, out of respect and obedience to their
queen. If, goaded by their wrongs, I could no longer hold them in check with
reason; if they were now, by one accord, determined to break away, and
endeavor, by a bold stroke, to win back their nationality, why should I
prohibit the outburst of patriotism? I told them that if the mass of the native
people chose to rise, and try to throw off the yoke, I would say nothing
against it, but I could not approve of mere rioting. On Jan. 6,
1895, came the beginning of a revolt. For three months prior to that date my
physician, Dr. Donald McLelan, had been in attendance on me, and, as I was
suffering very severely from nervous prostration, prescribed electricity. For
two years I had borne the long agony of suspense, a terrible strain, which at
last made great inroads on my strength.” pages 263 – 264

--------------------------

Timeline:

14 January 1893 Queen Liliuokalani announced she
would draft a new constitution to replace the “Bayonet Constitution” forced on
her brother, the previous monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

15 January 1893 Marines from the cruiser Boston
invade Honolulu and the “Committee of Safety” forces Queen Liliuokalani from
the throne by 17 January.

31 January 1893 President Benjamin Harrison attempts
to deny the Provisional Government from taking Hawaii, but the House and Senate
deny his bill. The new president, Grover
Cleveland sends James Blount to investigate.

18 December 1893 Blount’s report against the
takeover is submitted to Congress. He
agrees that Liliuokalaniis the constitutional ruler of Hawaii. Nothing happens. A counter revolution fails. Dole is now president of the Republic of
Hawaii.

On 24 January 1895 Queen Liliuokalani signed her
abdication. In October of that year she
was tried for treason and sentenced to confinement in her room at Iolani
Palace. During her confinement she composed
the “Queen’s Prayer” and stitched the famous quilt on display today in the
imprisonment room.

In 1896 she was freed but remained under duress at
her nearby home, Washington Place.

12 August 1898 the US flag was raised in Honolulu
signaling annexation. Liliuokalani
remained secluded at Washington Place. Later that year she traveled to the United
States to petition the president, and to visit her husband’s family in Boston.

1916 marked the year of Prince Kuhio’s lawsuit to unsuccessfully declare Liliuokalani incompetent and takeover her Waikiki land that she willed to her Hawaiian Children's Trust.

Queen Liliuokalani died on 11 November 1917.

Queen Lili'uokalani with her grandchildren
photo taken about 1917

Obviously the stress of the overthrow did not prevent the Queen from taking the reins as the strongest supporter of her people's rights after annexation. She was an elegant and well spoken advocate for Hawaiians in Washington. After all this, her autobiography is still considered one of the best books describing this time period. She even remained a quiet force throughout Prince Kuhio's attempt to discredit her in her last years. Whatever she experienced in 1894, it was just a small setback that she overcame with true Queenly dignity.

I see you have used the boos.google.com site. I have found a tremendous amount of genealogy information from Google Books. See my blog about Google Books and Genealogy. The blog is about how to structure some queries using the Google Books search engine and some of what I found.

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About Me

Author of the Nutfield Genealogy blog and occasional genealogy speaker. My family research includes Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, with a smattering of Nova Scotia. Please contact me if you see your ancestors on this blog. I would love to share information. I am the former secretary of the New Hampshire Mayflower Society, former President of the Londonderry Historical Society, member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Mass. Society of Genealogists, The National Genealogical Society, and the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists.